Missouri's Budget Takes Hit From Tobacco Case

MISSOURI--- Missouri's budget takes a $70 million hit from a tobacco case. A judicial panel backed a claim by tobacco companies that said Missouri wasn't doing all they could under the tobacco settlement to promote cessation and tobacco education programs. According to Attorney General Chris Koster, the ruling involved a national case involving more than 30 tobacco companies and 46 states.

State Representative Tom Flanigan says generally Missouri gets about $130 million a year in tobacco settlement money. "Now that we're going to be 70 million dollars less, we're going to have to take a good look and see what the governor wants to do and how they want to factor in this $70 million deficit into the budget going forward."